Remembering the Battle of the Somme
110 years after the Battle of the Somme, we join our veterans in remembering and honouring the bravery of those who fought and gave their lives for freedom.
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Did you know our first Chairman was blinded at the Battle of the Somme?
We are proud to honour our first Chairman, Ian Fraser, who lost his sight at the Battle of the Somme.
In 1916, Captain Ian Fraser served with the King’s Shropshire Light Infantry. Blinded when he was aged just 18, he became one of the earliest beneficiaries of our charity.
When our founder, Sir Arthur Pearson, passed away, Fraser stepped forward at just 24 years old and led the charity for more than 50 years, determined that no veteran should face sight loss alone.
His legacy lives on in the tens of thousands of blind veterans who have rebuilt their lives with the charity's support.
By donating to our Battle of the Somme appeal, you are keeping Lord Fraser’s legacy alive by helping today’s blind veterans regain their confidence and independence.
"I recalled my first experience under artillery bombardment. I had been frightened — frightened on two accounts: first of all for my own life and limb and, secondly, frightened lest I should let the show down."
The First World War in Ian Fraser's words
“The war killed one million of the flowers of our youth and wounded and disabled others.”
The reality of the trenches
“I got used to shell fire, and to crawling about and being sniped at, and to all the other hazards of that war, and even though later on shell splinters and bullets may have come very near to me, I was never so frightened again as I had been at first.”
His sight loss
“I was initially sorry for myself. My God, what a sacrifice I had made so light-heartedly, so cheerfully! And I was so young, only 18 when that bullet hit me.”
The St Dunstan’s effect
“The house in Regent's Park (the charity’s base during the First World War) was a haven of rest. It stretched a helping hand out to the blinded soldier, sailor or airman in pain, in need, in success or failure, in all the trials and tribulations of the day-to-day life.”
“It was there we rebuilt our shattered lives.”
Today, Lord Fraser's mission continues
A century after the Battle of the Somme, our Servicemen and women are still risking everything.
After signing up at 16, Chris was seriously injured in a rocket attack in Afghanistan, suffering multiple skull fractures and brain injuries. The damage to his eyes left him blind.
Like Lord Fraser, Chris doesn't consider himself brave. Of his service, he simply says: "It was the right thing to do. You accept the consequences."
Your donation helps ensure today’s brave veterans, like Chris, are not left to face sight loss alone after risking their lives in service.
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Honouring our heroes means so much more than remembering — it means standing beside them today.
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